In 2002, Kiribati was an independent nation located in the central Pacific Ocean. It had an area of 811 square kilometers and a population of 95,000 people. The capital of Kiribati was Tarawa, and its official language was English. Comprising 33 coral atolls, the terrain of Kiribati was mostly flat with a few low-lying hills. The climate was tropical and hot with plenty of rainfall. Natural resources included phosphate deposits, fish and coconuts. According to computerannals, the economy in Kiribati relied heavily on subsistence agriculture as well as fishing and handicrafts. Furthermore Kiribati also had a small tourism industry due to its pristine beaches and exotic marine life. In 2002 there were still many challenges facing Kiribati; poverty levels remained high due to a lack of economic diversification away from subsistence farming and low wages for workers in other industries such as manufacturing or services. Furthermore corruption remained a problem which hindered economic development. However despite these issues in 2002 Kiribati had made significant progress since gaining independence from Britain in 1979; it had established a multi-party democracy with free elections and had joined international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and South Pacific Forum (SPF).

Yearbook 2002

Kiribati. According to Countryaah website, national day of Kiribati is every July 12. The parliamentary elections were a defeat for the Maneaban Te Mauri ruling party. To win a mandate requires at least half of the votes in a constituency. Only 13 of the 40 members could be elected in the first round of voting on November 29. Among them was opposition leader Harry Tong, one of President Teburoro Tito’s main opponents.

Tito was re-elected at the second round of elections on December 6, when the rest of the seats were distributed. However, seven of his ministers lost their mandate. After the New Year, the new parliament would nominate candidates for the presidential election scheduled for January 30, 2003.

The choice was marked by a debate on China’s robotic weapons tracking facility located in the country. The Titor government has granted the facility permission, which the opposition has criticized. The opposition also accused the Chinese embassy of funding Tito’s election campaign.

Climate

Always humid tropical climate. The annual average temperature is 29 ° C all year round. The annual rainfall is around 2500 mm, with most of the rain falling in the period from November to April. There is a risk of tropical cyclones.

Kiribati Country Overview

Visas and admission
Finnish citizen does not need a visa to travel to Kiribati for less than 4 months. The passport must be valid for 6 months after leaving the country.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, KIR stands for Kiribati.

Insurance
Every person participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well.

Many dive trips require more extensive insurance. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Currency: The currency of Kiribati is the Australian Dollar (AUD). € 1 is about 1.55 AUD.

Vaccinations 
Check that your basic vaccinations are valid (tetanus, polio and diphtheria and MPR). Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are recommended for the trip.

Always check the vaccination requirements at the health center or the Vaccination Advice of the Tourist Clinic

Time difference
10 hours

Electric
current Electric current 240 V / 50 Hz. Sockets similar to e.g. Australia.

Safety We
stay in safe areas during our trip, but general caution within common sense is desirable throughout the trip.

For more information on traveling in the country, see the English Foreign Office’s travel bulletin, for example .

Climate
Kiribati has a tropical climate, with almost daily rainfall. Kiribati has a pleasant climate from April to October, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 33 degrees. From November to March it is wetter.

Kiribati: State of Oceania composed of 33 islands and coral atolls (Gilbert Islands, Ocean Island, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands), with capital in Tarawa atoll. The population consists of Micronesians in the Gilberts and Polynesians in the other islands. British protectorate since 1892, the Gilbert Islands received status in 1915 colony, joined to the nearby group of the Ellice Islands (Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony). In 1975 the Ellice Islands were spun off from the colony and formed an independent republic with the name of Tuvalu. In 1976 the Gilbert Islands gained self-government, and in 1979 achieved full independence; the new state, which took the name of Kiribati, was constituted into a presidential republic, whose legislative body is an assembly of 39 members, elected every four years by universal suffrage.